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DOGGEREL BALLADS, 



AND 



SOME SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS AT HARVARD COLLEGE. 



At a meeting of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society, held in^Boston, on Thursday, April 12, 1894, 
Dr. Samuel A. Green spoke as follows : — 

Doggerel ballads were formerly more common in New Eng- 
land than they are now ; and the story of great deeds was often 
told in rude verse, and thus kept alive in the minds of the 
people. Historical events and acts of personal heroism were re- 
corded by rhymesters, and lines brought forth in this way were 
either sung or recited by members of the household around the 
fireside. The words and the sentiment of these homespun pro- 
ductions became a part of the warp and woof of the yeomanry, 
and ingrained into their very fibre. Notably among such 
efforts may be cited the Song of Lovewell's Fight, which is 
said to have been in its day " the most beloved song in all 
New England." While these attempts at versification were 
not peculiar to this neigiiborhood or this country, they served 
a purpose and helped to perform a part in the literary devel- 
opment of New England. They were the result of a natural 
force or movement, — and therefore a phase in evolution, — 
and as such deserve to be noticed in any account of our intel- 
lectual growth. If they have no poetical merit, they certainly 
answered the purpose for which they were written. In those 
days books were few, and newspapers scarce ; and doggerel 
rhyme helped to keep up the continuity of tradition and to lay 
the foundation of an American nationality. It was this spirit 
of common patriotism that conquered the Canadian provinces 






during the French and Indian War, and wrested the English 
colonies from Great PJritain during tiie Revolution. 

Within a short time our Corresponding Member, Professor 
Franklin B. Dexter, of Yale University, has sent me the fol- 
lowing copy of a manuscript ballad found among the papers 
of a family at Paxton, Massachusetts. The transcriber of 
the original was born in 1775, twenty years after the date 
of the ballad : and the date of transcription was not later 
than 179G. 

VERSES RELATING TO THE EVENTS OF 1755. 

1. We that (lid live iu tifty live, 
That were preserved & kept alive, 
We may record what god has done 
Beneath the circuit of the sun. 

2. IIow lie display 'd his mighty power, 
Aud pass'' before us in an hour. 

In various ways which he did take 

By thunder stormes aud the Earthijuake. 

3. First in the spring tlie wars begin. 
To punish men then for their sin ; 
They beat their drums & so they cry, 
Who will unto the battle fly ? 

4. They list a main with Coarage bold. 
Their armour bright & money told ; 
The time comes on, they must not stay. 
But Quit their friends & go away, 

5. While husbands parting with their Dears, 
And mothers for their sons in tears, 

Not knowing but that they must die 
Or go into Captivity. 

6. They first arive at East-ward shores, 
Where drums do beat and Cannons roar ; 
A hero Spirit they retain. 

Which puts the freuch-men to great pain. 

7. They take their forts tt so Possess 
Their pastures aud their Wilderness. 
The Joyful News spreads O'r tiie land 
That we have gain'd the up|)or hand. 



8. But then a Cloud o'r spread the sky, 
For braddock and his men did die ; 
They lost the day & so did fly 

And fell before the enemy. 

9. There foes rejoice & shout aloud, 
And Anti-Christ grows very Proud ; 
While we are mourning in Distress 
The widow and the fatherless. 

10. The spring is gone and past away. 
And then Comes on the Summers day, 
While Nature smileth with her Charmes, 
While we are Clasped iu her Arms. 

11. But yet again there is a Cry 
To List and fight the Enemy. 
Another Army is gone forth 

To meet the Heathen in the North. 

12. Towards Crown-pint tiiey also go, 
To meet the fury of the foe ; 

While they have Teachers in the Dark, 
Christs ministers to bear the Ark, 

13. Which pray unto the god of Heaven 
That all their Sins may be forgiven; 
And we may hope for Victory, 
When we in faitli to god do Cry. 

14. The Summer now is past away, 
And tiien Comes on a bloody Day ; 
They go to meet and so do Spy 
The faces of the Enemy. 



15. A furious fight Comes on a main 
And many Valiant men are slain ; 
Of all the Battles now the third 
Was fought with garments rol'd iu Blood. 

[IC] A frightful Noise & hiddeous yell, 

As tho it Came from the Jaws of Hell ; 

The smoke did as a Cloud arise, 

While Cliristian prayers did pierce the Skies. 



[17.] And God did hear when they did Call 
And Anti-Clirist receiv'd a fall. 
O may she bleed & Also die, 
That Christ may gain the Victory. 

[18.] They Quit the field with shameful flight, 
As tho they saw it dark as Night. 
Our men did plunder on the place, 
And Smiles returned in their face. 

[19.] But yet our God, Provok'd by sin, 
Did Cause the Plague to enter in ; 
And those that scap'' the Enemy 
Did fall by sickness & did die. 

[20.] While we was sleeping on our Beads, 

The Lord did shake our Drowsy Heads, 
Saying, awake, ye sleepy fools, 
Least ye are drowned in the Pools ; 

[21.] Yea, rise and Call upon your God, 

Least he sends fourth his Dreadful rod. 
The trembling Earth doth testify 
He is displeas* and angery : 

[22.] Hear the sad Noise from Lisbon town. 
Which shook & fell unto the ground ; 
And Multitudes there buried were 
In the dark Reageous of Dispair. 

[23.] And Now, Land, New England Land, 
Amased be & trembling Stand, 
Because the Judge Stands at the Door; 
Forsake your sins, repent therefore. 

These are the hints which I have made 
In fifty five it Shall be .Said. 

At the last annual meeting of tlie American Antiquarian 
Society in Worcester, on October 21, 1893, our associate. Pro- 
fessor Dexter, read an able report on Some Social Distinctions 
at Harvard and Yale, before the Revolution. It was both 
interesting and exhaustive, and presented a large amount of 
original matter. Within a few weeks I have discovered among 




the manuscripts of the Historical Society a letter bearing on 
the same subject, which tends to support Professor Dexter's 
opinions. It is found in the first volume of Belknap Papers, 
containing " Miscellaneous Letters. 1637 to 1788," leaf 42. 
The paper contains various erasures and interlineations, and 
presumably was the rough draft of the letter sent to President 
Holyoke ; and the following is a copy : — 

B[0ST0N,] Oct" 20* 1749 

Rev'^ & Hour" S' 

as I am Bound to Sea & Rank in Our way is Look'! upon as a Sacred 
Thing and it is Generaly allowed That The Sons of the New England 
Cambridge are Placed according to the Degrees of their ancestors I 
have therefore put in My Pretentions for my Son. begining with the 
Countrey in which we Breath and for Genealogy Say 

That Edward Winslow my Great Grandfatlier was y' Eldest of y" 
Name in England & of five Biolhers First Settlers of What is Now 
this Province & that the si' Edward was one of y" First Planters and in 
y' First Ship of w' was Lately y* Collony of Plymouth & Some Time 
Govf Thereof & one of y" Grand Commissions in the Unhappy Expedition 
against High Spaniolia & Dyed at y° Taking of Jamaica Leaving one 
Sou (Josiah) who in his Day was JMany year Gov- of s* Collony & Cap°- 
General of y' United Forces of New England In the memoriable Indion 
war Caf' Philips war in which he Got his Death Leaving one Son Named 
(Isaac my Father) who had the Hon- to have the First Place in both 
Civil & Millitary affairs in the County of Plymouth & many years & 
Until he Resigned was President of the Council of this Province and 
that in the year 1738 he Dyed Leaving Two Sons of w'i I am the 
Eldest & have to Say for my Self that From ray Early Days I have 
been Intrusted in y" Publick affairs of the County & Province until 
1740 when I had a Company in y" Unfortunate Expedition against 
Cathergenia & have had Since Two Commissions of y' Same Rank 
under his Majesty & Intrusted with the Command of yf Second Garrisson 
in North America which is My Present Station. Pardon my Saying thus 
Much, offer these Things as Facts and Leave the Events to the Hon"" 
& Reverend" Boddy To and for whome I have the Greatest regard and 
at all Times with the utmost respect Shall Take Leave to Subscribe y- 
and Their Very Humble Serv 

To the Hon'' & Rev^ J Winslow 

Ed? Holyoke Esq' President 
of y* Colledge to be [h'ne utijinished.] 

[Indorsed] Toy' President 1749 



Tlie writer of the letter was afterward known as General 
John Wiuslow, and the son therein referred to was Pelham, a 
graduate of Harvard College in the Class of 1753. The col- 
lege authorities evidently attached some weight to the opinions 
of the father, as the son's name now stands second in the list 
of his class, as published in the General Catalogue, where the 
old order is still kept up. Pelham Winslow was the second son 
of John and Mary (Little) Winslow, and horn at Marshfield 
on June 8, 1737. He studied law in the office of James Otis, 
tiie distinguished advocate and patriot, and afterward practised 
his profession at Plymouth. In his political opinions he was 
a tory, and just before the breaking out of the Revolution took 
up his abode in Boston. When that town was evacuated by 
the British, he left with the army for Halifax, and soon after- 
ward received from the Crown a commission as Major. He 
died at Flusliing, Long Island, in the year 1783, leaving a 
wife and an infant daughter. 



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